The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) is considering legal action after a Dutch television show was traced as the source of match-fixing attempts in the Eredivisie and Jupiler League.
The KNVB were contacted by an unnamed player in December after he was approached with an offer to influence match results, with the association then reporting the matter to the nation's public prosecutor.
An investigation was subsequently launched, leading the prosecutors to reporters from an investigative journalism show called RamBam.
"There's a difference between trying to expose someone who has actually been fixing matches and randomly calling players and try to convince them to throw a game," said a spokesperson for the KNVB, speaking to De Telegraaf. "In the first case, you are helping solving a problem, but you are actually the problem itself in the second case.
"There is no difference between attempted match-fixing by criminals or by TV producers. It's about manipulating games, which hurts the integrity of the sport. We called CCCP (the show's production company) to discuss the matter and will send them a mail to tell them to stop approaching players.
"We don't know whether any players took the bait. It would obviously be lamentable if someone was open to fixing a match.
"But we also know there are players who could be tempted. We know all about previous cases. We don't need a TV show for that.
The KNVB spokesperson commended the player involved for following the official and appropriate channels.
"We first heard about this in early December when a player called us. We have previously told players to always get in touch if they are approached for something like this.
"The good thing here is that the KNVB was approached by said player. We then got in touch with the public prosecutor and that got things going.
"A player is very much in the wrong if he takes the bait, but making a TV show about it would hurt him for the rest of his life. We have our doubts about this method.
"Again, it would be different if they actually exposed someone who was already guilty of match-fixing. The public prosecutor is looking into the matter and we are considering taking legal action."